Armenian catholicos regrets Baghdad church blasts in letter to Pope

Arminfo
3 Aug 04

YEREVAN

Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II today expressed his support for
and sympathy with Pope John Paul II in connection with the 1 August
terrorist acts against Christian churches in Baghdad which damaged
Catholic churches most of all.

Arminfo news agency has learnt from the Holy See of Echmiadzin that
Garegin's message to John Paul II reads: "We are saddened that
separate extremists have been trying to threaten the centuries-long
friendship and peaceful co-existence of the Christians of the East and
the Islamic peoples. That is why, we are praying to God in order for
Jesus Christ's love to settle in the believers' souls and violence and
wars to disappear from the region and the entire world".

Garegin II has sent a similar message to the head of the Armenian
Catholic Church, Patriarch (?Nerses Petros Tarmuni).